Terms used in the Early Childhood Education Report 2014

Early childhood education (ECE) refers to programs for young children based on an explicit curriculum delivered by qualified staff and designed to support children’s development and learning. Settings may include child care centres, nursery schools, preschools, pre- or junior kindergarten and kindergarten. Attendance is regular and children may participate on their own or with a parent or caregiver.

Early childhood educators refers to the adults who work directly with children in early childhood education settings, have ECE post-secondary education credentials and are recognized by provincial/territorial legislation as qualified to teach in licensed child care, nursery schools, preschool or kindergarten programs.

Curriculum is a way of structuring learning experiences as an organized program of activities. In early childhood education, learning experiences include everything that happens to a child from arrival to departure.

The following abbreviations of provincial/territorial names are used in this report: